Indications that the crisis in France has not completely passed are to be easily seen in the move made by M. Doumergue to transfer interest in the domestic situation in France to the realm of foreign affairs. Doumergue has seized upon the Austrian-German question as the one most likely to arcuse interest in France which would be sufficient to divert public opinion from the Stavisky scandal. For years this has been a time honored method in French politics; unfortunately, it has been generally unsuccessful; in 1830 it came too late to avert the collapse of the monarchy, and in 1840 it merely caused the fall of the government and came near to starting a general European war. I think that if M. Doumergue's artifice succeeds it will be not because it is an essentially clever move but simply because the French public realizes that the definite triumph of any one party will result in civil war or worse. No one faction in France was capable of taking advantage of the late disturbances in order to provoke a successful revolt against Republicanism; and it is extremely unlikely that they will be afforded a sufficient opportunity again. The crucial moment in France has passed and has left the opponents of the existing order honorless and covered with dust from their fast-stepping rivals.

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Whether this attempt or Doumergue's to concentrate attention on the Nazi advance in Austria will have any effect on the course of events in that unhappy country is highly dubious. It would seem that the Austrians instead of gladly welcoming any foreign aid that may be available to them have deliberately set out upon a course designed to make salvation from the powers doubly difficult. The seemingly hopeless division of country into completely irreconcilable faction has become an actual fact, and any chance of settling their differences amicably must be viewed as a more or less hopeless dream. The only possible opportunity for accomplishing this lies in the triumph of the ideas of Dollfuss; if anything at all is to be done to arrest the further advance of the Nazis into Austria it must all too obviously be accomplished under a form of government that is, in essence, dictatorial, for any other sort is too unwieldy to avert the danger which now threatens. Unfortunately, the balance in Austria is so even that neither the Viennese socialists nor the Heimwehr can feel sure of any permanent success. Since this is the case, the cause of the Nazis has been considerably strengthened, and if a purely nominal Fascist government is established, it is difficult to see just what the powers can do about it--except to utilize it as a safety valve which may divert the local magnesium-throwers.